Asymmetric Scattering-Induced Neel Spin-Orbit Torque in Antiferromagnets

Abstract

Magnetic switching in antiferromagnets relies on Neel spin orbit torque (NSOT), which originates from a current-induced staggered spin polarization of itinerant electrons. In collinear antiferromagnets, such a response requires the spin susceptibility to be odd under combined space-time inversion symmetry (PT), and is conventionally attributed to symmetric scattering processes. Here, we demonstrate that asymmetric impurity scattering generates an additional PT-odd spin polarization when coupled with the anomalous spin polarizability (ASP) of Bloch electrons. This extrinsic contribution arises from the interplay between antisymmetric higher-order scattering processes and band geometry, effectively converting an otherwise PT-even susceptibility into a staggered spin polarization. Using a minimal model of tetragonal CuMnAs, we show that this anomalous skew-scattering contribution can be comparable to, and with sufficient impurity density even exceed, the conventional symmetric scattering (Drude) contribution. Our results identify a new band-geometry-driven mechanism for NSOT and establish an efficient route for electrical control of antiferromagnets.